


These Little Lights to Not Let Extinguish

by Aggression



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cannibalism, Hatchlings, Infant Death, Those little guys there for like bits in Dark of the Moon?, Transformer Sparklings, it's brief, yeah those guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 09:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17937608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aggression/pseuds/Aggression
Summary: AU starting during Dark of the Moon.Starscream struggles to keep what hatchings are left alive.





	These Little Lights to Not Let Extinguish

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is just an idea I've had floating around in my head for a long while now, though to be honest, I'm not quite sure where it's going. This fic is going to be my fic to relax, so you may notice it doesn't have the usual polish of some of my other fics have. It's AU during Dark of the Moon... which I also may have never actually managed to finish cause tbh I can only take so much Bay and the first two movies were enough. Yay for tfwiki! 
> 
> Also, as a little note, within the tie in comics for the movies Starscream canonically cared for hatchlings on pre-war Cybertron! Learning that was my main starting point of inspiration for this idea.
> 
> Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker is implied, but only currently within Starscream's own hopes. I'll add the tag if it becomes something more concrete later.

Starscream had a problem.

Multiple problems, actually. 

They crawled over his plating; they skittered on the the ground around him. Megatron had helped shuttle the hatchlings down from the Fallen’s ship and then had shot off back into the sky to The Unmaker knows where. 

The problem became most apparent as one of the larger hatchlings shuffled to his chassis, tiny claws digging into seams as it wordlessly asked for a fuel line. He checked his fuel reserves, running quick calculations. He had thirty-three mouths to feed, and needed enough fuel left for himself to go and find more. Human fuel was crude, nothing like true energon, but an adult Cybertronian could easily survive off of it with only a few possible complications. 

But hatchling systems and mechanisms were new, unrefined, and untried against harsh materials. Without specialized energon, the only other option for them was fuel refined within an adult’s body. 

Starscream began the painful process of feeding them. Their whining grated on his audiles as he had to pull each hatchling off of his feeding lines before they were sated. His EM field flared out, conveying a sense of calm, a request for patience, as he managed to hold back his growing and ever-constant distress. 

Before this mess of a war he had spent a good portion of his life as a protector for hatchlings. Never his own; he always helped other carriers, as large broods always required multiple attendants. It was why Seekers preferred to trine, as the frametype habitually had large broods, and the bondmates would work together to care for their young. However, circumstance didn't always allow for all members to care for the young. Sometimes, there simply wasn't anyone else to help but someone designated by an agency like the one Starscream worked had worked for once upon a time. 

It hadn't been his only job. It allowed for some free time if one scheduled properly, and Starscream had also been a consultant at the local military base on scientific studies and weapons construction, which allowed for his smooth transition into the Defensive Division after he had decided to take a break from creation rearing. 

It was also how he met Skywarp. Thundercracker had come along soon after.

He now routinely squashed the part of him yearned to being just that - a hatchling protector with trinemates of his own, waiting for when they were all ready - and nothing more. There would never be the chance, even now he couldn't be just that. 

The feeding finished. Starscream gathered his brood, guiding them to hide among the scraps and rubble of scrap metal that had been made into a hovel. He let out a low screech, a command in binary the hatchlings could understand:  _ stay.  _ A grating sound followed:  _ safety - safe here. _

They would fine alone for awhile. He didn't let himself think otherwise. He despised himself, for though the mech could go frag himself into this system’s sun, he had to hope Megatron returned soon. As he had to hope he would manage to convince the other to convert fuel for the hatchlings along with him. Even with the warlord helping, he was bound to lose hatchlings. There were four weak and injuries bitlets he expect to pass within the next couple solar cycles alone. 

He shot off into the sky to search for fuel and to leave that thought behind.   
  


* * *

He had been careful, successful, had stolen fuel without raising any kind of suspicion against himself. But such an endeavour took time, a couple human days in fact, too much more time than he liked to spend away from the hatchlings.

Starscream hissed as he returned, spotting a shape looming over his brood’s hiding place as he flew back. Caretaker instincts calmed, marginally, as he realized the mech standing over them was Megatron. Still, the Lord Protector was a vicious mech, one who had been routed recently. Starscream would have chased him away immediately if he had not needed the mech for his fuel system. 

Calling in binary out to the bitlets as he landed, Starscream examined the leader of the Decepticons.

Megatron was a mess, literally and figuratively, and apparently. already back to scheming despite his injuries from the fight over the Harvester still not yet being healed. Megatron was rattling plans at Starscream that were ignored as the caretaker carefully looked over the hatchlings as they emerged from the piles of scrap. Megatron rambled, but fuel conversion systems worked fine. Starscream hoped he had hidden how utterly relieved he was at knowing the slagger was going to help feed the hatchlings. 

All thirty-three were still not getting enough fuel - both mechs had to conserve large reserves for themselves with the current tenuous situation the Decepticons were in. The hatchings were at least getting  _ more.  _

One still died before the next sunrise.  
  


* * *

Megatron came and left, came and left. He wasn’t doing anything Starscream cared for, until he was. Starscream took no time at all to come to decision over the scheme with Sentinel. It was an easy one to evaluate, to consider against what he really desired. His desire changed - wrestling leadership from Megatron didn’t matter when the Fallen’s own scheming had landed him the only things he would consider more important. He had been the best option, even for all the complaining that the Fallen did that a “snivelling gripe” like Starscream was to carry broods for hm.

The only option. The only Decepticon with caretaker programs and experience; the only Decepticon with well cared for forging units. (They were for _Thundercracker_ _and Skywarp_ but he had no idea if those two were still alive. It had made his plating crawl to accept the Fallen’s offer but his spark had swelled and tugged at long buried desires.) His hatchlings clung to him, the strongest to his wings, and he fluttered plating and wings alike for the little stimulation he could provide while stuck in a conversation with Megatron.

For the first time in a long time, Starscream wanted out of the plot. 

“You will do as you’re told.”

“No.” Five more hatchlings had died in the passing weeks since Megatron had started to help fuel them. Starscream had eaten the corpses, breaking down the metal and other materials into his own systems. He still had his own injuries, and he burned with shame even though his autonomic codes would have never allowed all of the resources to go to only the hatchlings. It had created some enriched fuel at least. “I know what forces we have available. You don’t need me for this.” 

“You think you’re special enough to be exempt?”

“I think our goal is to rebuild Cybertron, is it not?” Starscream sneered. He had been attempting to keep his EM field even, but his anger flared. The hatchlings had already been unsettled by Megatron’s annoyance, and they chittered and became a crawling mass that climbed all over Starscream as he lost control. The weaker few who moved slowly and little clinging harder to the holds they did have. “I may be the only experienced caretaker left alive.”

Megatron’s engine growled, rumbling like thunder. Soundwave stood in the background, a silent and useless observer until he wasn’t. “New plan, without Starscream: formulated.” 

Minutes later, the two left. Starscream attempted to even his EM field, attempted to create a blanket of comfort around his brood as his spark spun wildly. 

It had been Soundwave’s turn to speak after he had interjected. Both Skywarp and Thundercracker had been reassigned to Earth, though there had been no reply from either. He gave Starscream no other information.

Soundwave always played his cruelty with subtly. 


End file.
